Device for steaming bread in bake ovens



Aug. 9, 1932- w. KLENK DEVICE FOR STEAMING BREAD IN BAKE OVENS Filed Dec. 3, 1931 gwuentoo Willy KZENK dam Patented Aug. 9, 1932 sriarrsii \K ILLY KLENIK, OT STUTEGARTECANNSTATT, GERIVIAHY, ASSIGNOR. TO, BAKER PERKINS. COMBANY,.IN ;;.OF SAGINAVJ', HIIGHIGAN, A COREOBATION OF'NEW YORK, I

DEVICE. r012. strut-Ammo Application-filed December 3, 1931, Serial No.

This invention relates to steam-injector jets in bake ovens having a traveling conveyor for moistening unbaired loaves of bread during the preliminary stages of the baking process, and has for its object the provision of a baffie or a steam deflecting hood, against which the jet or jets of steam are directed and from which the steam is de fiected at low velocity down onto the loaves in a diffused mist-or fog, increasing the area intensity of the steaming of the loaves as they become hotter and increase in size during their travel through the introductory chamber of the oven, while using steam in jectors of identical capacity in co-operation on each baffle.

Heretofore it has been""the practice to moisten loaves by steam jets playing directly onto the bread. The high velocity of such a jet presents certain disadvantages which my invention overcomes. For example, the

force of the steam tends to hinder the development and expansion of the bread, which at this point in the baking should be as full and rapid as possible in order that the loaves shall be of maximum size before the outer crust begins to set and form.

in baking hearth bread the directional character of a high-velocity direct steam jet has the disadvantage that it tends to moisten the loaves unevenly. The size of the loaves are shadowed by the bulging top portion, so that they can not expand to the fullest desired extent; also such a jet if directed at an angle to the oncoming loaves will moisten one side more than the other.

The construction of the steam injectors with my baffle hood is simple and economical. For example, the steam injector pipe extending transversely of the oven needs sin ply to be drilled with outlet holes standard BREAD 11H BAKE OVENS 578,757,: andinGermany December 11; 1930.-- I

in size,.and the use of regulatingwalves orv' steam nozzles of accurate sizes-isnotznecese'; sary. Regulation of the intensity of steam-:1 ing can be accompL'shed by mounting-each steam pipe rotatably, so thattheanglewat- 5 which the steam jet strikes the .curved baffle. surface can be adjusted and .thBCllfiLlSiGniOli? the deflected steam can be varied withinreaw sonablelimit.

The drawing shows the lIDNBHtlOHIaSEaP-J: 605 plied to a bake oven of the well knownztravele" ing-plate conveyor type.

The conveyor 1 travels through} theint-ro-z ductory chamber or conditioning cha-mberQ... of the oven in which theinitial l1eating.andi"-: 653. expansion of the bread takes place before-it traverses the baking section of the. oven proper.

Above the conveyor 1 in theconditioning chamber are steam injectors 3 consistingofma pipes extending transversely of the condie tioning chamberQ :and drilled with: a-.plu+. rality of apertures 30: extending inna line lengthwiseof the pipe. The-inject0rs-arer connected to a supply of lowpressure-steam;.. 75 not shown. Above each pair ofinjectors; is a baffle i, 5 and 6, curved downwardlyi'au each end to form'a concaved deflectingisure face ia, 4?), 5a, 5b, 6a and 6b, againstwhichs. the steam'jets from the injectors 3 areedirecta see ed such an angle that the steam will bedes. flected down and diffusedover-the loaves in the desired manner.

deferring to the drawing, it can be scen that the first, defiectingsurface 4a,..is curved for a short part of its length andzits'lowei end is inclined relatively slightly togthe-conr veyor so that the deflected steam is diffused over a large area. This wide angle'diffusion of tliesteam jet resultsin the entrainment: of a largevolume of air with thersteam so: that the cool loaves whicl1-have..=justenteredthe oven-are moistened relativelyslightlyand: gently, just sufficient to prevent their drying out at this low temperature.

.The deflecting surface-4b: is curved to -a slightly greater extent and. terminates in .aplane more nearlyvertical to deflect the steam-- more directly downwardlyi and'to diffused? toa lesser extent. The resultingdenser cloud of steam is desired since at this point the loaves are slightly warmer and require more moisture to maintain the elasticity of the skin surface.

The succeeding bafile surfaces 5a, 5b are successively increasingly curved to produce increasingly dense mists of steam to adeuately moisten the hotter and larger suraces ofthe loaves as they travel further into the oven, as indicated by the broken lines representing the path of the steam jet.

The last bafile 6 with surfaces 6a and 6b is designed to produce a very concentrated cloud of steam which will reach every surface of the dough piece and provide the maximum moistening efiect needed during the last stages of expansion of the loaves. As indicated in the drawing the steam jets are diffused least by bafile 6, but are directed inwardly from the surfaces 6a, 6b to converge and produce a swirling cloud of vapor which will reach every part of the sides of the dough pieces.

Between the successive battle units 4, 5 and 6 are provided adjustable dampers 7 for drawing oil? the surplus steam from beneath the hoods or to permit a free flow of'heat in case bread is baked in the oven without preliminary steaming. Burners 8, or other suitable means of heating the conditioning chamber 2 are indicated diagrammatically in the drawing.

The injector pipes 3 may be mounted for rotation about their longitudinal axes in known manner, so that the jets may be di rected upwardly at a greater angle to the defleeting surface, or may be directed horizontally, or perhaps slightly downwardly to adjust the intensity of the steaming within the zone of influence of each of the jets.

By my invention I have provided an efiicient, flexible system for the pie-treating of bread, which is economical to build, eificient in operation and which is capable of adjustment through varied conditions with a minimum of complicated valves and other devices.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s: a

1. In combination with a bake oven having a traveling conveyor, a steam injector for producing a jet of steam located in the feed- 1n end of said oven above said conveyor, and a bafile hood positioned above said injector having at least a portion of its lower face inclined to the conveyor to present a deflecting surface against which the steam jet is directed, whereby the steam is deflected downward in a diffused mist over the conveyor.

2. In combination with a bake oven having a traveling conveyor, a plurality of steam injectors for producing jets of steam, spaced alongand positioned above said conveyor fromthe feed-in opening of said even, and 

